U.S. 'deeply concerned' about citizens held in North Korea, including Newman

By Greg Botelho, CNN

Updated 9:35 PM ET, Thu December 5, 2013

Americans detained abroad23 photos

Jason Rezaian – Jason Rezaian, The Washington Post bureau chief in Tehran; his wife Yeganeh Salehi and two freelance journalists were detained on July 22, 2014, according to the newspaper. An Iranian official confirmed to CNN at the time that the group was being held by authorities but did not say what they were charged with.

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Saeed Abedini – A 33-year-old U.S. citizen of Iranian birth, Abedini was sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2013. He was accused of attempting to undermine the Iranian government and endangering national security by establishing home churches. He was detained in Iran on September 26, 2012, according to the American Center for Law and Justice.

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Robert Levinson – Retired FBI agent Robert Levinson has been missing since 2007. His family says he was working as a private investigator in Iran when he disappeared, and multiple reports suggest Levinson may have been working for the CIA. His family told CNN in January that they have long known that Levinson worked for the CIA, and they said it's time for the government to lay out the facts about Levinson's case. U.S. officials have consistently denied publicly that Levinson was working for the government, but they have repeatedly insisted that finding him and bringing him home is a "top" priority. The FBI increased its reward for information on Levinson from $1 million to $5 million, it announced in March.

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Amir Hekmati – An Iranian court threw out a 2011 death sentence forAmir Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine charged with spying. But he was secretly retried in Iran and convicted of "practical collaboration with the U.S. government," his sister told CNN on April 11. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, she said. Hekmati was detained in August 2011 during a visit to see his grandmother. His family and the Obama administration deny accusations he was spying for the CIA.

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Joshua Boyle and Caitlin Coleman – Mothers Linda Boyle, left, and Lyn Coleman hold photo of their married children, Joshua Boyle and Caitlin Coleman, who were kidnapped by the Taliban in late 2012. Coleman was pregnant when she was kidnapped and is believed to have had a child in captivity.

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Mohamed Soltan – Jailed since 2013 and sentenced to life for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Mohamed Soltan has been released, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo said on Saturday, May 30, 2015. Soltan's family denies he belonged to the Brotherhood. Soltan had been a dual U.S. and Egyptian citizen, but renounced his Egyptian citizenship as a condition of his release.

Jeffrey Edward Fowle – One of three Americans detained in North Korea, Fowle was released and sent home, a State Department official told CNN on Tuesday, October 21. Fowle was accused of leaving a Bible in a hotel where he was staying. North Korea announced Fowle's detention in June, saying he had violated the law by acting "contrary to the purpose of tourism." Fowle told CNN: "I've admitted my guilt to the government and signed a statement to that effect and requested forgiveness from the people and the government of the DPRK."

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Kenneth Bae – In May 2013, a North Korean court sentenced Bae, a U.S. citizen, to 15 years of hard labor for committing "hostile acts" against the state. North Korea claimed Bae was part of a Christian plot to overthrow the regime. In a short interview with CNN on Monday, September 1, Bae said he is working eight hours a day, six days a week at a labor camp. "Right now what I can say to my friends and family is, continue to pray for me," he said. After months in detention, he and fellow American detainee Matthew Todd Miller were released in November 2014.

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Matthew Todd Miller – Miller, the American sentenced to six years of hard labor in North Korea began serving his six-year sentence on September 25. He was one of three Americans detained in North Korea who spoke to CNN's Will Ripley in September 2014 and implored the U.S. government for help. The 24-year-old was accused of tearing up his tourist visa and seeking asylum upon entry. He and Kenneth Bae were released in November 2014.

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Peter Theo Curtis – American journalist Peter Theo Curtis was handed over to U.N. peacekeepers on August 24 after nearly two years in captivity. He is believed to have been captured in October 2012 and held by the al-Nusra Front, a Syrian rebel group with ties to al Qaeda.

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Alan Gross – Gross, at right with Rabbi Arthur Schneier was jailed while working as a subcontractor in Cuba in December 2009. Cuban authorities say Gross tried to set up illegal Internet connections on the island. Gross says he was just trying to help connect the Jewish community to the Internet. Former President Jimmy Carter and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson both traveled to Cuba on Gross' behalf. He was eventually released in December 2014.

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Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl – This undated image provided by the U.S. Army shows Bergdahl, who had been held by insurgents in Afghanistan since 2009. The White House announced Bergdahl's release on May 31, 2014. Bergdahl was released in exchange for five senior Taliban members held by the U.S. military. In March the U.S. military charged Bergdahl with one count each of "Desertion with Intent to Shirk Important or Hazardous Duty," and "Misbehavior Before The Enemy by Endangering the Safety of a Command, Unit or Place."

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Merrill Newman – U.S. tourist and Korean War veteran Merrill Newman arrives at the Beijing airport on December 7, 2013, after being released by North Korea. Newman was detained in October 2013 by North Korean authorities just minutes before he was to depart the country after visiting through an organized tour. His son Jeff Newman said the Palo Alto, California, man had all the proper paperwork and set up his trip through a North Korean-approved travel agency.

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Yanira Maldonado – Mexican authorities arrested Yanira Maldonado, a U.S. citizen, right, in May 2013, for alleged drug possession. She and her husband, Gary, were traveling from Mexico back to the United States when their bus was stopped and searched. She was released a few days later and is now back in the United States.

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Laura Ling and Euna Lee – North Korea has arrested Americans before, only to release them after a visit by a prominent dignitary. Journalists Laura Ling, center, and Euna Lee, to her right, spent 140 days in captivity after being charged with illegal entry to conduct a smear campaign. They were freed in 2009 after a trip by former President Bill Clinton.

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Aijalon Gomes – Former President Jimmy Carter negotiated the release of Aijalon Gomes, who was detained in 2010 after crossing into North Korea illegally from China. Analysts say high-level visits give Pyongyang a propaganda boost and a way to save face when it releases a prisoner.

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Eddie Yong Su Jun – Detained in April 2011, Junwas released by North Korea a month afterward. His alleged crime was not provided to the media. The American delegation that secured his freedom included Robert King, the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues.

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Robert Park – Without any apparent U.S. intervention, Park was released by North Korea in 2010. The Christian missionary crossed into North Korea from China, carrying a letter asking Kim Jong Il to free political prisoners and resign. North Korea's state-run news agency said Park was released after an "admission and sincere repentance of his wrongdoings." Here, Park holds a photo of Kim and a malnourished child during a protest in Seoul.

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Josh Fattal, Sarah Shourd and Shane Bauer – Josh Fattal, center, Sarah Shourd, left, and Shane Bauer were detained by Iran while hiking near the Iraq-Iran border in July 2009. Iran charged them with illegal entry and espionage. Shourd was released on bail for medical reasons in September 2010; she never returned to face her charges. Bauer and Fattal were convicted in August 2011, but the next month they were released on bail and had their sentences commuted.

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Haleh Esfandiari – Esfandiari, an Iranian-American scholar, was detained at Iran's Evin Prison, spending months in solitary confinement before Iran released her on bail in August 2007. Esfandiari was visiting her ailing mother in Tehran when she was arrested and charged with harming Iran's national security.

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Robert Becker – Sixteen Americans were among the dozens arrested in December 2011 when Egypt raided the offices of 10 nongovernmental organizations that it said received illegal foreign financing and were operating without a public license. Many of the employees posted bail and left the country after a travel ban was lifted a few months later. Robert Becker, right, chose to stay and stand trial. He spent two years in prison and has since returned to the U.S.

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Timothy Tracy – Filmmaker Timothy Tracy was arrested in Venezuela in April 2013 on allegations of funding opponents of newly elected President Nicolas Maduro, successor to the late Hugo Chavez. Tracy went to Venezuela to make a documentary about the political division gripping the country. He was released in June 2013.

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Story highlights

Merrill Newman was detained in North Korea in October, after a trip to the Asian nation

State news said he "apologized" for crimes, including killings during Korean War

Family of another detained American thanks the White House for seeking their release

An expert says that North Korea is trying to get the world's attention

The U.S. government pleaded Saturday for North Korean authorities to release 85-year-old Merrill Newman, with a spokeswoman saying officials are "deeply concerned" about him and another American being held in the isolated East Asian nation.

"Given Mr. Newman's advanced age and health conditions, we urge (North Korea) to release Mr. Newman so he may return home and reunite with his family," said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.

Washington's plea came on the day North Korean state media released print stories and video showing what they called Newman's "apology." University of California, Berkeley professor Steven Weber characterized it as "highly scripted political theater."

So how did an elderly retired financial consultant and Korean War veteran become the central figure in an international dispute? Why is there such animosity still tied to a conflict, the Korean War, that ended six decades ago? And why is this all unfolding now?

Weber, a former consultant to the U.S. Commission on National Security, has a theory: "They are trying to get the Western media to pay attention."

With the notable exception of its longtime ally China, North Korea is in many ways a pariah state bogged down by what many view as decades of repressive leadership. At the same time, the communist nation has had difficulties getting enough energy to power their country and food for their people.

Largely shut off from the rest of the world, its leaders and state media often use saber-rattling rhetoric to unite citizens against what Weber described as "nasty outsiders" -- which, not coincidentally, are chiefly South Korea and the United States, just as during the Korean War.

The discord in recent years has centered mostly on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, with the international community taking punitive measures such as economic sanctions to hold Pyongyang in check.

Newman is not the only American being detained in North Korea. In her statement, Hayden also asked for the release of Kenneth Bae, who was arrested in November 2012 in North Korea.

Last May, Bae was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor after North Korea's government found him guilty of "hostile acts" and attempts to topple the government.

"We are thankful that the White House has advocated for the release of both Mr. Newman and my brother, Kenneth Bae," said Terri Chung, Bae's sister. "It has been a devastating experience for my brother and my family, so we pray every day for his release. Now we're including Mr. Newman in our prayers. We cannot forget about these two men. For every action that the US government takes toward his release, we are thankful."

Chung has said Bae suffers from chronic health conditions that require doctors' care, including hypertension, diabetes and an enlarged heart. On Monday, Chung said ailments her brother suffered before his detainment -- back problems and radiating leg pain -- worsened while he was forced to work long hours daily in a labor camp. He has lost 50 pounds since he was detained, she added.

The Bae family has been in "sheer pain and agony" since his detainment, Chung said.

Newman's age, and the circumstances surrounding his detention, are unique.

According to his family, the Palo Alto, California, resident had gone on a 10-day organized private tour of North Korea in October. From phone calls and postcards he sent, the trip was going well and there was no indication of any kind of problem, son Jeff Newman said.

The day before he was to leave, "one or two Korean authorities" met with Newman and his tour guide, the son added. They talked about Newman's service record, which left "my dad ... a bit bothered," according to Jeff Newman.

Then, just minutes before his Beijing-bound plane was set to depart Pyongyang in late October, he was taken off the aircraft by North Korean authorities.

Newman's weeks-long detention is complicated by the fact that, according to his son Jeff, he suffers from a heart condition.

Sweden's ambassador to North Korea visited Newman on Saturday where he is being held at Pyongyang's Yanggakdo Hotel and delivered his medication, his family said.

"As a result of the visit, we know that Merrill is in good health," the family added. "Merrill reports that he is being well treated and that the food is good."

The Newmans went on to thank the ambassador and "express appreciation for the cooperation of the DPRK government in allowing the visit to take place."

"We are asking that the DPRK authorities take into account his health and his age and, as an act of humanitarian compassion, allow him to depart immediately for home," the family said. "All of us want this ordeal to end and for the 85-year-old head of our extended family to be with us once more."

Reported apology: 'I have been guilty of big crimes'

Until Saturday, the North Korean government hadn't said why it held Newman.

The explanation came in the form of a published apology from Newman, as well as accompanying images of him thumbprinting his handwritten note and talking about his experiences.

Atop the first of the four pages is the word "apology," according to video released by North Korea. The end of the last page is dated November 9 -- indicating Newman made his reported admission more than 20 days ago. Why might Pyongyang have waited 21 days, then, to make the admission public? That's another one of the mysteries surrounding this case.

In the note, Newman talked about his having advised the Kuwol Unit, part of the "intelligence bureau" fighting against Pyongyang in the Korean War. He detailed how he commanded troops to collect "information" and wage various deadly attacks.

"After I killed so many civilians and (North Korean) soldiers and destroyed strategic objects in the DPRK during the Korean War, I committed indelible offensive acts against the DPRK government and Korean people," Newman said, according to the "apology" reported by KCNA.

The reported message also touches on his return 60 years later to North Korea, admitting that he "shamelessly ... had a plan to meet any surviving soldiers and pray for the souls of the dead soldiers."

"I have been guilty of big crimes against the DPRK government and the Korean people again," Newman adds in the "apology."

His statement ends: "If I go back to (the) USA, I will tell the true features of the DPRK and the life the Korean people are leading."

In addition to this statement, KCNA ran a story alleging Newman came to North Korea with a tourist group in October and afterward "perpetrated acts of infringing upon the dignity and sovereignty of the DPRK and slandering its socialist system."

This story claimed that Newman tried to "look for spies and terrorists who conducted espionage and subversive activities against the DPRK."

Investigators determined that, as a member of the U.S. military, he "masterminded espionage and subversive activities ... and, in this course, he was involved in the killings of service personnel of the Korean People's Army and innocent civilians."

"The investigation clearly proved Newman's hostile acts against the DPRK, and they were backed by evidence," the KCNA story added. "He admitted all his crimes."

Just five days ago, his wife, Lee, said she hoped he would be home for Thanksgiving.

"We need to have Merrill back at the head of the table for the holidays," Lee Newman told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "And we ask -- respectfully -- for them to release him and let him come home."

One day before Thanksgiving, Rep. Charlie Rangel -- who himself was wounded fighting in the Korean War -- released a letter urging North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "to release him immediately." Noting Newman's medical issues, the New York Democrat implored Kim to "have the heart to reunite him with his loved ones and those who can provide proper care."

Rangel also reflected on the 1950s war, as well as the current state of affairs between the key players.

"I believe that Mr. Newman, like myself and others who have fought during the Korean War six decades ago, wants to see a united Korea in our lifetime," wrote the congressman. "While progress has been slow on the political front, I am confident it can be advanced on humanitarian grounds."

So will there be fresh movement in Newman's case? Will his reported apology pave the way for his release or will it be followed, like Bae, with a lengthy prison sentence?

As of Saturday, nobody -- at least nobody outside of North Korea -- seems to know.

As Weber, the Berkeley professor said: "When it comes to North Korea, nobody knows very much."